Editor's note: This feature is part of columnist Jesse Blanco's "12 Days of Christmas" special presented by eatitandlikeit.com and SavannahNow. Today through Dec. 14, Jesse will introduce you to one Savannah chef and recipe a day to celebrate the holidays.
Andaz Savannah (formerly AVIA) -- different name, same attention to quality.
Their new restaurant 22 Square is headed up by Chef Lauren Teague. Now, I will be honest, the old AVIA Kitchen was one of my favorite places to eat in town. They had great prime sliders, chicken and waffles and a few other things.
Slideshow: An Eat It and Like It Christmas in Savannah.
So I was scared when I heard a new chef was coming in myself and a few others feared a new menu. "New chef, new menu" was one of the first things she said when I met her.
Chef Lauren is a lovely woman, always willing to chat with guests about choices for her menu and sourcing (which is entirely local). Their local Gouda cheese is to die for. But I digress.
Asked to chip in to Savannah's 12 Days of Christmas recipes, Chef Lauren did not hesitate. So far we've had grits, donuts and fudge sauce. Now it's time to Eat It and Like a nice piece of beef.
Click here to get Chef Lauren's beef tenderloin recipe at eatitandlikeit.com.
Jesse Blanco is a local news anchor at WTGS and host of the Emmy-nominated “Eat It and Like It,” Savannah’s only TV show dedicated to its culinary scene. Visit him at eatitandlikeit.com or email jesse@eatitandlikeit.com.